DEI in your Organization

Companywide activities and events can be great ways to get everyone  involved in diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. While these  events do spread awareness and can be helpful catalysts for change, as  time goes by, employees can easily forget how to implement everything  they learned.

It’s a leader’s responsibility to ensure that their company’s DEI  goals are prioritized throughout the daily operations of the business.  Below, 13 members of Forbes Coaches Council  share various ways for senior leaders and executives to ensure that DEI  efforts maintain momentum long after companywide activities and  events.

1. Remember That DEI Is A Continuous Process

DEI is a continuous process, not a set of activities or events. To  succeed, it must become a part of the organizational culture. Senior  leaders need to stay on message, model expected behavior and make sure  HR leaders in the organization have the knowledge and tools to support  DEI, starting from recruitment and onboarding. - Katarzyna Gardapkhadze, Responsible Leadership Academy

2. Remember That DEI Is A Reflection Of Leadership

DEI is not about events and activities, it’s a clear reflection of  your leadership. A great way to measure your organization’s DEI  temperature is to monitor the network of your leaders. You can easily do  that via social media and email to get a clear sense of who actually  walks the talk. Then, move into action and plan training interventions  accordingly to effectively change the culture. - Lital Marom, UNFOLD Media Group

3. Track Metrics And Hold Leaders Accountable

The key word is “momentum.” Launching an initiative and staging  companywide events will make a statement. To ensure those efforts do not  become stand-alone one-offs, clearly and consistently communicating the  companywide action plan—including the metrics that are being tracked  and how leaders are being held accountable for meeting them—makes all  the difference. DEI then needs to be on the ongoing quarterly review  agenda. - David Yudis, Potential Selves

4. Continuously Question Unconscious Biases

Continuously questioning unconscious biases is crucial. To truly  embed DEI into the company culture, leaders need to be aware of their  unconscious biases and how they might inadvertently be excluding some  employees. From the wording of job ads and descriptions to team-building  events and rewards, what you think is a great idea may not be  appropriate for everyone, so be mindful every day. - Gabriella Goddard, Brainsparker Innovation Academy

5. Follow The Engagement Plan

To sustain DEI initiatives, employees need to see concrete actions  being taken, and these efforts need to be regular and communicated  effectively. A virtuous cycle is created when the initiatives begin to  bear fruit, increasing confidence and thereby maintaining momentum for  the longer term. - Thomas Lim, Singapore Public Service, SportSG

6. Get Participants’ Buy-In During The Event

Focusing on this after the event is too late! Ask the participants  during the event or activity how they want to bring this forward,  maintain momentum and measure the impact and effectiveness. Get them to  create the structure and get their buy-in. Plan with them; don’t try and  be prescriptive after the fact. - David Taylor-Klaus, DTK Coaching, LLC

7. Establish Benchmarks, KPIs And Measurements

Companies know how to establish benchmarks, key performance  indicators and measurements. Treat DEI as a vital business unit with  accountability. Create a net promoter score for employees, similar to  your customer satisfaction measures. Businesses have the tools; they  just have to have the mindset and will to do it, and then be  accountable. - Jodie Charlop, Exceleration Partners

8. Create A Sense Of Belonging And Psychological Safety

Creating and sustaining a sense of belonging and psychological safety  for all members of an organization requires leaders to be intentional  in implementing a change management strategy to embed and thread the DEI  philosophy into the company’s mission, vision, values and goals.  Managing the process through communication of expected behaviors will  help to uphold and thread DEI into the norms of a company’s culture. - Lori Harris, Harris Whitesell Consulting

9. Implement A System, Not Just Motivational Talk

You need a system, not just a motivational speech or talk to tie DEI  to some sensible metrics. My go-to DEI coach does not hesitate to  suggest how important it is to remove emotion and insert sensible, smart  metrics into the mix. That way, neither the fashion of the moment nor  the rage of the day will rule what should come first: what is best for  your business and your stakeholders. - John M. O’Connor, Career Pro Inc.

10. Examine Career Development Processes For Bias

Examine your organization’s career development processes, which can  be susceptible to bias. How are highly-coveted projects distributed?  When two people are up for the same promotion, what questions do you  ask? Do your managers develop individual relationships with all staff to  minimize affinity bias? Make sure that everyone is trained on and uses  objective data to support and sustain DEI goals. - Loren Margolis, Training & Leadership Success LLC

11. Be Transparent About The Results

As with any business initiative, for DEI initiatives to be  successful, they need to be promoted and communicated with a clear level  of transparency. Employees will not buy into the initiatives if there  is no regular communication. Sharing the transparent results of DEI  initiatives being implemented will help build momentum as people see the  buzz and change happening within the organization. - Kevin Kan, Break Out Consulting Asia

12. Sponsor DEI Initiatives From The Top

To take it beyond a poster or a project, DEI has to be embedded in  the company and team culture, from how we hire, select future talent, do  performance reviews and make decisions every day. Appreciate and learn  from people with different views. Accept that people are different and  are motivated by different factors. Reward and celebrate exemplary DEI  behaviors. - John Nielsen, The Nielsen & Co Coaching and Leadership Consulting

13. Have Advocates And Champions Across The Organization

As with any initiative, companies need to ensure there are advocates  and champions across the organization that will carry the mantle and  continue to organize activities and events. Culture change is not a  one-time event, it’s a process, and as such, it needs to be measured on a  regular basis through polls and feedback. - Rakish Rana, The Clear Coach

This article was originally published on Forbes.